


Together

by starcrossedwriter1401



Series: Ben Solo Deserved Better (A Working Series Title) [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alderaanian Hair Braiding (Star Wars), Ben Solo Lives, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Force Bond (Star Wars), Planet Ahch-To (Star Wars), Planet Naboo (Star Wars), Redeemed Ben Solo, Reylo - Freeform, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28147188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starcrossedwriter1401/pseuds/starcrossedwriter1401
Summary: The First Order has fallen. After defeating Emperor Palpatine on Exegol, Rey and Ben escape and begin their life together post-war. Will the former Supreme Leader get a chance at happily ever after?A fix-it for The Rise of Skywalker
Relationships: Kylo Ren & Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Ben Solo Deserved Better (A Working Series Title) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2061987
Comments: 29
Kudos: 54





	1. Escape

Rey decides to wait to return to the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss until Ben is healed. Although weak herself, she has to half drag a limping and exhausted Ben who was just on the brink of death from the Sith Citadel to their starfighters.

No, not the TIE. He barely gets out through their Bond as Rey helps him towards the First Order TIE Fighter. The effort alone makes his weight sag against her a little more. As she opens her mouth to question his decision, she realizes a fighter associated with the First Order is now a target.

“Okay. Okay. Almost there. Just hang on,” she grunts out as she uses as much energy as she can manage to get them to the X-Wing. Ben manages to get himself into the cockpit of his uncle’s fighter, much to Rey’s relief, and makes as much room for her to squeeze in. “We just need to make it off planet to the closest safe one. Then we can rest,” she tells him. He groans in agreement as she flips the instrument panel on and begins their navigation off the crumbling planet. Resistance fighters and associated ships still dot the atmosphere, but don’t make contact with the retreating X-Wing.

Miraculously, they make it into lightspeed out of the Exogol system and back to Ahch-To where she knows they’ll both be safe and can heal in peace. She doubts they would have even made it to the Outer Rim in their state. “It’s safe here,” Rey explains once they land on the stone slab overlooking the water. Ben nods in agreement, leaning forward against Rey’s shoulder. It’s cramped in the cockpit of the fighter, but both dread the exertion it will cost to get out and into the closest hut.

“Let’s just rest here. For a few hours at least,” Ben murmurs against her shoulder. She breathes out a chuckle, feeling him tighten his arms around her gently as if settling in for a long nap.

“I’d argue but those stairs are hell.” She replies, slowly maneuvering herself around so she can rest her head against his chest. His warmth is slowly returning to his body after his brush with death. The thought makes her clutch his lightsaber torn shirt a tighter and press herself closer. It’s the first time she’s truly been able to think about what they just went through and she knows his thoughts are wandering in the same direction.

_I almost lost you. You died. Before I even really had you, I could have lost you._ He quietly murmurs across the Bond, arms tightening around her as he presses a kiss into her sweat matted hair. There’s an unspoken, yet mutually accepted feeling through their Bond of home; a feeling neither has truly felt in a long, long time. It’s not yet love, they both know that will take time to build to, but it’s a mutual comfort to be in each other’s arms.

_I’m right here._ She silently assures him. _I’m not going anywhere, I promise. We have a lifetime together._ There’s still so much to talk about, yet each point slips from her mind as her head grows heavier against his chest.

“Thank you, sweetheart, for saving me,” he whispers against her hair as he too drifts into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.

X

Ben is the first to slowly wake in the late afternoon judging by the looks of the sun in the sky. The woman in his arms is unsurprisingly still in a deep sleep, one hand gripping at his sweater and the other resting on his side near the singed hole in his sweater from their lightsaber duel on the Death Star. He blinks down at her, admiring the smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks and the long lashes casting shadows on her cheekbones. He’d never been given the chance to really look at her until now; to openly admire the fierce woman in his arms. His fierce woman, he realizes proudly. He left the First Order, the clutches of Palpatine, the power, everything. All for her. How foolish he’d been to ever think he could resist her Light. Sighing, he gently maneuvers his arm around her to pop the hatch of the fighter open slightly to let in the fresh air. It would be good for both of them. The salt in the air burns lightly at his nose as he inhales deeply and stares out at the endless ocean ahead of them.

X

Rey wakes an hour or two later to fresh air and strong arms around her. She nuzzles her face into the sweater she’s resting against before opening her eyes fully to the sunset. A large hand caresses the back of her head gently; a soft kiss is pressed into her crown. Rey hums in comfort and looks up smiling into the face of her raven-haired man. He smiles back at her, scanning her face with large glassy eyes.

“Hi,” she whispers. His smile grows.

“Hi,” he replies, his deep voice reflecting his smile.

“How do you feel?” She snuggles farther into his arms.

“Much better than last night. How are you feeling?”

“Like new. It seems I have much to learn from you in the ways of the light side of the Force,” he teases, twisting a loose lock of her hair around his finger. She grins at him.

“I suppose you do need a teacher, although it seems you’re a quick learner,” she quips back. He laughs, a deep rumbling laugh she can feel in his torso.

“Let’s spend a few days resting before we begin training,” he suggests, wanting nothing more than to simply spend time with the woman he knows he’s coming to love.

“Afraid I’ll beat you in a spar?” She asks, eyebrow quirking in mock challenge. His arms tighten around her as he leans down to press his lips against the shell of her ear.

“Believe me sweetheart, you have it in you,” he replies. She shivers at the slight husk to his tone and twists to come face to face with him. Their thoughts align perfectly as they crash against each other. This kiss is different than the one they shared on Exegol. It’s a passionate, soul-crushing kiss derived from their near loss of each other and the future they know is now possible. It feels like home.


	2. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey heals Ben (again) and he decides he doesn't mind being the reason she laughs.

“We should head up to the huts before it gets too dark,” Rey murmurs, lightly scratching at Ben’s scalp. They’d watched the suns lower past the horizon and were now basked in the early twilight of the evening.

“I suppose you’re right,” he replies, leaning into her touch. She pecks him quickly on the lips before opening the cockpit fully and wiggling out of his arms. He follows behind her stiffly, his body still sore from the fall in addition to staying in a cramped position for such a long time. Once he reaches the bottom of the ladder from the fighter, he reaches for her hand at the same moment she reaches for his. They slowly make their way up the stairs, resting every few hundred feet. Although significantly less injured than the night before, Ben is still limping severely and Rey can feel every bruise littering her body. Now that they’re both moving and not stationary in a fighter cockpit, every painful injury from the days previous is making its presence known. It takes the dyad 30 long minutes to make it into a hut on the top of the cliffs. The Lanai have seemingly anticipated their arrival enough to start a fire in the hearth. Ben sits onto the cot near the fire, dragging Rey onto it next to him.

“How bad are your injuries?” Rey questions, although she can feel his pain through the bond. He hesitates, not wanting to worry her, and starts pulling off his boots. “Ben,” she presses.

“Not as bad as on Exegol,” he mutters, tossing his boots to the side and toeing his socks off, “but still not pleasant.”

“Let me help,” Rey pleads. He looks down at her, about to tell her no, but the look in her eye says she wouldn’t take no for an answer even if he tried. Sighing, he nods. Rey stands and brings him to his feet as well.

_Take this off._ She tells him through the bond with pink cheeks as she grasps at the bottom hem of his sweater. A cocky grin graces his face.

“Sweetheart if you wanted me to take my clothes off you only needed to ask.” He teases. Her cheeks flush red and she drops the coarse fabric as though it had burned her.

“I didn’t…I mean I’m not…This isn’t…” she stutters. He kisses her briefly on the forehead.

“I was only teasing you. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” he assures her, swiftly pulling the sweater up and over his head. She stares at the broad expanse of bruised skin in front of her. It’s as though a watercolor of black, purple, green, and yellow were painted across his chest and arms. There are still some cuts and scabbing on his hands where he’d cut them scaling the rocky chasm, but those will be the easiest things she can heal. The major scarring she’d seen on his shoulder and side during their mildly uncomfortable Force bond seemed to have disappeared along with the scarring across his eye and collarbone.

“This will all heal easily but I’m worried about your ankle. That’s the biggest injury, right?” He nods reluctantly. “Let me take care of that first, and I think the rest will heal as a residual effect like how your scars did,” she decides, nodding to herself.

“Alright,” he agrees, knowing this is a fight he won’t win with her.

“Sit,” she tells him, pushing him back towards the cot. He obliges and watches her sit in front of him. She pulls his foot into her lap and wraps her hands around his ankle gently to avoid a particularly nasty bruise. Similar to the last time she Force healed him but on a smaller scale, he can feel heat radiating from his ankle throughout his body. He watched her face in wonder while she healed him. He hadn’t noticed the last time how she scrunched her nose slightly with the effort or clenched her jaw in focus. Ben was so lost in watching her that he didn’t notice when she was done until her eyes met his. She blushed slightly but kept eye contact.

“Thank you,” he whispered, feeling immensely better. He couldn’t feel the sharp pain in his ankle or the dull throbbing of his bruising anymore.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, standing up to sit beside him on the cot. He reached for her hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb absentmindedly. She yawned.

“You should sleep. I can sleep on the floor tonight and we’ll find another cot in the morning,” he suggested, pressing a light kiss into her hairline.

“Or you can sleep with me on the cot,” she blurts out hastily before he can get up.

“Are you sure?” She nods vigorously.

“We slept in the cockpit last night. Sleeping on the same cot is fine.”

“I really don’t mind taking the floor if it makes you more comfortable,” he offers again.

“Ben, I want you to sleep with me on the cot,” she states, making eye contact. _Please don’t let me sleep alone,_ is a whisper in the back of his mind. He pulls her into his arms and lays them both down onto the cot. It’s tiny so they end up positioned with her laying on his chest, head resting with her ear just over his heart. His arms are wrapped tight around her shoulder and waist, securing her to him.

_You will never be alone ever again,_ he promises.

_Neither will you,_ she replies, pressing a kiss to his heart. He dots her hairline with small kisses and enjoys the sound of her laughter. It’s a different sense of pride to him after the life he’s had to be the reason for someone’s laughter. He really doesn’t mind it at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this how the Force works? Does anyone even really know at this point?
> 
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Please leave a review or kudos to let me know what you think! Thank you so much to the readers who have left either! The emails from AO3 with your feedback make my day!
> 
> Chapter 3 is in the works and I have a rough outline of what I want the next few chapters to look like! :)


	3. Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey fall into a routine on Ahch-To

It only takes about two weeks on Ahch-To for Ben and Rey to settle into a comfortable daily routine together. Their new routine is lazy, many would argue, but after years of such strict lifestyles, they both are more than happy to simply _exist._

**The sun usually wakes Ben once it is high enough in the sky to angle down into his face from between the shutters.** They could move the cot but then they wouldn’t be next to the hearth at night and Rey gets cold with the chill from the evening rain. Usually, he can hear the faint shuffling of the locals, their foreign language muffled through the thick stone walls of their hut. He’s only encountered them once, expecting them to cower in fear at the former Supreme Leader. Instead, he was encountered with kindness in the form of extra blankets, a large stock of firewood, and a cot twice the size of the one they’d slept on their first night in the hut. Even with the extra space, Rey sleeps pressed tightly against his side with her arm across his middle or on top of him. He genuinely doesn’t mind. If she slept farther from him, he’d likely end up curled around her body in his sleep. _Ever my protector,_ she’d once told him. He heartily agreed.

**He’ll wake Rey up with kisses wherever he can reach, her nose scrunching up in silent giggles as he shows her as much physical affection as he can muster.** This, as she’s told him, is by far her favorite way to be woken up. He imagines it will be his favorite way too on the mornings she rises before he does. That thought comes with mental images of a bright airy bedroom with billowing curtains and a massive bed large enough for the two of them to fit comfortably, perhaps with enough space to be a sanctuary for little ones of their own someday. He knows they’re years from starting a family but thinking about little ones with his eyes and her nose reminds him that everything he’s been through has been worth it for the chance at a happily ever after with her. For now, he’ll keep that particular daydream to himself. He doesn’t want to frighten her away, even though they’ve both seen that’s where their life together will take them.

**They’ll stay in their cot for a while, sharing stories of his happier childhood memories or her times since joining the Resistance.** Neither has broached the darker topics, but it’s only a matter of time. One morning, she had told him about the first time seeing endless greenery flying in the Falcon with Han. His heart had ached for the man he’d slain out of fear of the Light. He still hadn’t told Rey about seeing his father on Kef Bir before renouncing Kylo Ren forever. The right time will come soon enough, but for the time being he decides to bask in the joy of her memories with the people she’s built a family from. They’ve spent hours simply talking, feeling as though they need to learn each other’s separate lives before the discovery of the dyad to understand where their lives will go together.

**They’ll get up to leisurely explore the island in the early afternoon.** Rey will lead Ben by the hand across the island, showing him spaces she thinks they’ll be able to spar or caves they can hide out in during the rains. Her shrieking laughter when they get caught in downpours only makes him fall harder for the former scavenger. It makes sense, he thinks, that his girl is so enthralled by the water and lush landscape after her childhood surrounded by sand. Sometimes he watches her from their little caves while she stands with her arms out and face to the sky, wishing he still had his thick First Order cloak so she could stay in the rain without eventually freezing. Sometimes he’ll join her in the rain, taking her in his arms and spinning her around the same way his father used to spin his mother around in better times. The inadvertent shivering will always be worth it for the smile he gets from her when he dips her and presses a chaste kiss to her lips at the finale of their dance. The sensation of his heart pounding wildly out of his chest and the world disappearing around them is beginning to become normal to him. If this isn’t what his parents had told him about falling in love, then he really doesn’t know how he could ever fall harder than he is for the woman he’s given everything for.

**After exploring the island, they’ll return to their hut in the early evening and settle in for the night**. Unlike their first night in the hut, she doesn’t balk at the sight of him pulling his sweater over his head when its rain soaked. Instead, she blatantly admires the swell of his biceps, the dip of his lower back, the sheer massiveness of his body. If he ever catches her staring, he’ll wink dramatically at her, eliciting a giggle before she pulls him down for a kiss. She knows he’s restraining himself from taking their kisses any farther, but she doesn’t particularly mind. She wants to grow into this relationship with him, dyad or not. They’ll cook whatever food is available to them on the island for dinner. It’s never particularly elaborate of flavorful but its sustenance, nonetheless. One night after she tells him about the food (or lack thereof) on Jakku, Ben decides that he’s going to take her on a tour of the galaxy one day to treat her to foods and landscapes she’s only ever dreamed of. He mentally begins a list of particular planets, starting with Naboo.

**They’ll prepare for sleep in the late evening by changing into the spare sleep clothes the locals had given them, washing their day clothes, and adding firewood to the hearth to ensure they stay warm throughout the night.** Ben, Rey learns, will do everything he can to avoid staying dirty for too long. She’s sure he never went without shower or fresh clothes in his entire lifetime. It’s a stark contrast to the grime she got used to living in during her childhood in the sand. She was never truly clean. A few days after her discovery of his quirk, she tells him about joining the Resistance and her excitement of finally getting a proper shower for likely the first time in her life. Ben felt a pang in his heart after complaining about his plush upbringing in Chandrila while his soul mate was content whenever she could get the majority of the sand off of her. His deep eyes had blazed with an emotion she couldn’t quite place as he promised her she would never want for anything again.

**After finishing their tasks for the evening, they’ll climb under the covers together with Rey pressed tightly to Ben’s side.** Her head will rest in the crook between his neck and shoulder and her hand will usually find its way to the place over his heart or curved around his side. His arm will drape across her lower back while the other reaches up to cradle the back of her head or stroke her hair gently. Rey never thought her giant of a man could ever be this gentle, especially after she’d seen the carnage he was capable of while seduced by the dark side. She loves the soft side of him he only shows her with his deep brown eyes constantly softened, gentle hands seemingly always searching for contact, dimpled smiles, and soft, yet still deep, voice. They’ll speak in hushed tones about menial things until finally drifting off to a comfortable sleep in the safety of each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter!
> 
> I started off not being able to figure out how to work a fluff chapter into the middle of plot chapters, but this has actually become one of my favorite pieces I've ever written. I'm still figuring out how to write non-cringey dialogue between these two characters, so not having to write that and just play with their daily life of Ahch-To was super fun!
> 
> Please review or leave kudos to let me know what you think!
> 
> Chapter 4 is on its way and I think it's gonna be really great! ;)


	4. Braids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a nightmare, Rey learns Ben's coping mechanism for anxiety. Ben tells her how he became Kylo Ren and makes a move.
> 
> TW: Non-descriptive reference to abuse from Snoke.

She can feel his panic through the Bond before she’s even fully conscious. As she startles awake, she can feel the twitching of his muscles around her. She rubs his arm soothingly, hoping it will help without waking him. It doesn’t.

“Ben,” she whispers, continuing to rub his back. He jerks sharply, pulling the blankets away from her body. Rey senses his panic rising.

“Ben, please,” she tries again. Still nothing. She pushes herself away from the writhing man and grasps his arm.

“Ben, you need to wake up,” she nearly yells, shaking his arm slightly. He continues to jerk wildly in his sleep, face contorted in pain.

Ben! Rey cries through the Bond, pressing her hands to his chest. His movements still and his eyes fly open. His breathing is shallow as his wide eyes scan his surroundings, finally falling on her face. He pulls her back to his chest in a tight grip. Rey wraps her arms around his middle just as tight, silently assuring him she isn’t letting go. They remain silent and, if it weren’t for his breathing, she might think he’d fallen back asleep.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters.

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” she replies gently as she traces her fingers up his sides. He buries his face in her hair, gripping her tighter.

“Even obliterated, he still has control,” he whispers. Rey’s hearth clenches at his admission.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asks, not wanting to push him too far too soon.

“I wouldn’t even know where to start,” he replies, twisting her hair between his fingers.

“Wherever you want. I just want to help, Ben.”

“I know. And I’m sorry this is difficult for me.”

“There’s no need to apologize. You’ve been manipulated for years, and I’m sure that’s a lot to process.”

“It’s just…even though I know he’s gone…I keep looking over my shoulder waiting for him to reappear.” His words ring with anxiety that pulses through their Bond. She strokes his back gently, not knowing the words to say to take away the pain from years of abuse.

“You destroyed Snoke. We destroyed Palpatine together. Ben, you’re free. They can’t hurt you ever again.”

“Rey, there’s still years of torture you don’t know about.”

“Then tell me.” He meets her eyes and sighs sharply through his nose. “Ben I can handle it. Please let me take away at least some of the burden.”

“Can I…uh…” he falters, cheeks reddening.

“Can you what?” She asks, nuzzling her nose against his sternum. _I’m here_ the movement indicates.

“Can I braid your hair? My mother, she ah, she used to teach me Alderaanian braids when I had nightmares as a kid. Helped calm me down.” Rey nods against his chest before sitting up and facing away from him. She can feel the cot dip as he sits up behind her. His long fingers hesitantly comb through her hair, letting the strands fall between his fingers like sand.

“What are Alderaanian braids?” Rey asks, hoping to ease his tension.

“I’d say they’re just braids but my mother might come back and kill me.” Rey snorts back a laugh. “On Alderaan, braids were symbolic. Mothers passed the meanings down to their daughters, but I guess Leia passed it down to me knowing she wouldn’t have daughters. They all have different meanings, so if a woman wore a specific braid it might show everyone else that she was grieving or single or married.” Rey can feel his anxiety easing as his fingers pulling her hair in different directions.

“So what braid would you have me wear?”

“Why don’t I tell you once I’m done?” He asks, voice thick. She grins to herself.

“Alright. What was your favorite braid that your mother wore?” His fingers pause their work and he clears his throat.

“It’s called a wife’s braid. It requires two sets of hands, a husband’s and a wife’s. So a wife’s braid looks different on every woman because each husband’s hands are different. I never learned how to do that one but Leia would wear it when she and Han were having a good day,” he pauses and adds softly, “weren’t fighting about me.”

“Ben your parents loved you. You must know that. Even if they fought they always loved you. They always hoped you’d come home someday.”

“Rey I murdered the love of her life,” he reminds her numbly. His fingers still move deftly in her tresses. “How could my mother love me after that?”

“She knew Han’s death wouldn’t be in vain. She knew it would chip away a fraction of the darkness. That was the beginning of your redemption.” Rey insists. Ben takes a shaky breath.

“I think Snoke knew that too. The pain got worse after that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Snoke’s training almost always involved pain. That’s where the Sith harness their power, I suppose is a good way to explain it.” Rey thinks back to their lightsaber duel on Starkiller Base when Kylo Ren had beat at his bleeding wound before charging at her. She reaches a hand back to the closest part of him she can reach, his shin, and squeezes. “So I think when he could sense my resolve slipping he needed to push me harder into the Darkness so I couldn’t leave.”

“Ben…”

“That’s not even the worst of it. I don’t know if I could ever voice the worst of it, to be honest.”

“Ben I will hear anything you want to talk about. And maybe someday we’ll get through the worst of it.” He grabs at her waist gently and squeezes before returning to his braiding. He talks while he works. About the voices in his head as a young child that lured him into the hands of the Sith. About the brutality of Snoke and the First Order. About his bloody path to being Supreme Leader. He speaks in low tones as if he’s in confessional. She supposes in some way he is.

It’s dawn by the time Ben yawns out the last of his story. Her braids have been long completed and she has returned to the safety of his embrace. His arms are wrapped around her middle as his head rests against her chest. Her fingers comb through his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp as he expels at least a little of the trauma he’s held onto for years. He sleepily nuzzles into her hand and kisses her palm that rests against his cheek. They fall asleep in the early morning light. He still hasn’t told her the meaning of the intricate braids he’d wound her hair into: young love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out! The holidays were insane and getting back to work was hectic.
> 
> As always, please leave a kudos or review to let me know what you think! I love reading y'all's feedback!


	5. Yield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey spar.

Rey’s breathing is heavy as she sprints to get to high ground, sensing heavy footsteps behind her. Her lightsaber crackles to life upon ignition as she turns to face her hunter. The dark-haired man looms in the distance twirling the blue saber in his hand to adjust to the new weapon as he stalks her down.

She waits for Ben to get closer before twirling her saber and taking a step towards him. He anticipates her first swing and easily blocks before dragging his blade through the air in a heavy blow. She pushes his blade off hers and crouches so his next swing glides over her head before launching herself into another swing. He uses to Force to stop her blade, eyebrow lifting in a smirk. She lets out a low growl.

“That’s cheating!” Rey cries in false outrage. At this point, they’re both sore and exhausted after hours of training. What started as light training turned into heavy, competitive sparring and now as their energy fades their blows are slowing.

“Tough, sweetheart,” he replies with a wink as he drops her blade. She takes a swing over her head to accommodate for his height and meets his blade perpendicularly.

“Yield,” she grunts out. The blue from the blade reflects in his face as his eyes twinkle with humor.

“You think I’m that easy? Rey, you wound me,” He replies cockily, shoving her blade away from him. She still doesn’t understand how he is so large yet moves so gracefully. He backs away while still remaining predatory, waiting for her to make the next move.

Their dueling styles, while vastly different, oddly fit together. Her wild swings contrast his calculated ones. His height and raw power contrast her speed and unorthodox fighting.

Their sparring is like a well-rehearsed dance, their Bond offering insight into the others next move. Ben supposes if they were truly sparring, they would agree to block the Bond but today is mostly to get him used to the Skywalker heirloom.

Rey races back up to the top of the hill, knowing he’ll follow behind her. As he gets nearer, she launches herself into a roll midair before landing behind him. It’s similar to the leap she’d made over his silencer on Pasaana, which had oddly turned him on though he won’t admit that to her yet. He turns abruptly, grinning wildly at her demonstration of power.

“That’s my girl.” He hoots proudly, extinguishing his saber and pulling her in for a heated kiss. He hears her extinguish her saber and drop the hilt to the ground as she loses herself in his lips, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck. Ben drops his saber to scoop her up so he doesn’t need to crane his neck so far down to devour her. Her legs come up to wrap around his waist as she kisses him wildly, tangling her fingers in his hair and pulling on the strands slightly. He groans into the kiss and nips at her bottom lip. Rey pulls away to catch her breath, breathing heavily.

“So does this mean you yield?” she teases while quirking an eyebrow at him. Ben lets out a roaring laugh she’s never heard before her, his face lighting up with what seems like years disappearing from his features.

“For today, scavenger.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick chapter today!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I've never written a "fight scene" so this was fun for me! 
> 
> Chapter 6 is in the works and might see some familiar faces... ;)
> 
> I have a new outline that should get this story to about 23 chapters (if I don't mess around with it more because yesterday it was only getting to 20 chapters).
> 
> Thank you so much for all the reviews on my previous chapters! If you want to let me know what you thought of this chapter please review or leave kudos!


	6. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey get a ride off Ahch-To

The Falcon lands swiftly on the platform it had occupied so many months before. Rey lifts her hand in greeting to Finn and Chewie peering questioningly through the cockpit windows. Ben clutches at her other hand, tense by her side. The decision to return to the Resistance was made after days of arguing. Despite Ben’s insistence that he needed to be held accountable for the crimes he had committed under his former name; she can now feel his anxiety rolling in waves through the Force. As the ramp into the Falcon lowers to the ground, Rey squeezes Ben’s hand.

 _It’s going to be okay._ She tells him silently.

_I hope so._

_Nobody will touch you but me. I promise._

_Alright._ He stiffens even more as the Wookie descends from the ship followed by Finn. Chewie ambles towards the pair, lifting Rey into his arms. He growls happily at her as she wraps her arms around him.

“Thanks Chewie, I’m sorry I didn’t get word to you sooner,” she replies. He replies with more growls and moans, before setting her back on her feet and turning to Ben. There’s a long pause before the Wookie crushes the large man in a hug. Ben’s arms freeze before wrapping around his father’s best friend.

“Uncle Chewie I’m so…” he pauses, stifling a sob. “I’m so sorry,” he finishes, clutching at the furry arms around him. Chewie growls softly, obvious pain in his vocalizations, but he doesn’t berate his nephew. Instead, he insists how much his father loved him, how happy he is to have his nephew back and how proud his parents would be of his redemption from the darkness. Tears fall silently from Ben’s eyes as his uncle’s words soothe the pain he’d felt in his soul since that night on Starkiller Base. Eventually, Chewie lets go of Ben and ushers them both towards the Falcon. Finn, still waiting on the ramp, runs to Rey and pulls her into a tight hug. A pang of jealousy rings through Ben.

“I felt you die, Rey. I couldn’t feel you come back. How?” Rey hugs him back.

“I’ll tell you on the way. I’m okay though, see?” Finn squeezes her a little before letting her go. Rey steps back towards Ben and takes his hand, waiting for the former Stormtrooper’s angry outburst towards the former Supreme Leader. Instead, Finn glances downwards towards their joined hands, back up to Ben’s face, and outstretches his hand.

“Finn,” he introduces. Ben sighs, relieved.

“I’m Ben,” he replies, shaking his hand. Finn nods, still mildly unsettled by Ben’s presence

“Alright, well let’s get you two on the ship so you can tell me how this whole thing,” he gestures wildly at their linked hands, “happened.” Rey smiles up at Ben before following after her friend and Chewbacca towards the next chapter in their story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick one! I intended for this to me much longer but I had such writers block writing this chapter!
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please comment or leave kudos to let me know your thoughts!

**Author's Note:**

> I really loved the idea of expanding "After Exegol" into a full series so here's the full story floating around in my head.
> 
> As always, please leave kudos or a review and let me know what you think! I'm happy to receive feedback!


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